�DJ, Kenna�s on the phone,� Nickolas said. It was Wednesday, November 20, 2002 and Dakota was standing on the back porch waiting for Nickolas. She looked when she heard his voice and smiled at him. �Do you want to talk to her?�
�Yeah,� Dakota said reaching for the phone, but Nickolas held it back. �Give it.�
�Or what?�
�I�ll hurt you.�
�I�m sure you would.�
�I will and don�t test me either.� Nickolas smiled and kissed her. He gave her the phone and went back inside.
�Hello?� Dakota said into the phone.
�Hey,� came MyKenna�s voice.
�Hey. How�s it going?�
�Good. How�s it going?�
�Great.�
�That�s great.�
�You sound happy. What�s going on?�
�Nothing. I just had a good day.�
�Right.�
�I just called to wish you a happy birthday.�
�Thanks, but ain�t it, like, about 9 or 10 there right now.�
�Yeah, I have a little while before I go to bed so I get up for school tomorrow.�
�Right.�
�Unless I take the day off.�
�That always works.�
�Yes it does.� Dakota thought she heard Aaron in the background, but didn�t say anything. �So how�s your day going?�
�Alright.�
�What�d Nick get ya?�
�I don�t know. He�s acting like he doesn�t remember it�s my birthday.�
�How do you know he�s acting? He could�ve really forgotten.�
�So you�re saying he knows another DJ whose birthday is today?�
�Well�why?�
�I over heard him talking to Brian on the phone telling him it�s my birthday today and he�s doing something special for me.�
�Awe, how sweet.�
�Yeah, I don�t know what it is yet.�
�When ya do let me know.�
�I will if it�s alright to tell.�
�I understand.�
�Good.�
�Did ya get my gift yet?�
�Not yet. I�ll let ya know when I do.� She heard Aaron�s voice again, but still said nothing.
�Alright. Well I have to go. Mom said I could call long enough to wish you a happy birthday.�
�Thank you.�
�You�re welcome. I�ll see ya soon.� Dakota heard Aaron a third time and smiled knowing she wasn�t hearing things after all.�
�See ya.� Dakota heard a click and turned off the phone. She stood there smiling and thinking and then felt arms go around her waist. She felt a gentle kiss on her neck and looked at a smiling Nickolas. �Do you know where your brother is?�
�In LA. Why?�
�Are you sure about that?�
�Yeah. He told me himself where he was going.�
�Oh.�
�Why?�
�No reason. It�s just that I heard him in the background while I was talking to MyKenna.�
�Excuse me?�
�He�s in England with MyKenna not in LA like you think.�
�Are you sure it was him?�
�Positive.�
�But they broke-up.�
�Like in September. It�s November, Nicky, and things happen. They belong together even though they�re young.�
�You believe that?�
�I�ve seen them together just like you seen them together. You can�t stop the course of love. It�s impossible.�
�Right.�
�Did you stop it?�
�No.�
�Alright then.�
�You think they�re in love?�
�Love has no age. You can fall in love at any age and not realize it right away.�
�I knew it right away.�
�So did I.� She kissed him.
�I was thinking about taking you out for dinner tonight.�
�What for?�
�Because I want to.� She looked at him.
�Then what�s that smell?� She smiled. �It smell�s like lasagna.� Nickolas smiled.
�Well I didn�t say take you out to a restaurant. I just said �take you out�.� He smiled again.
�Right.�
�What do ya say? Can I take you out to dinner?�
�I guess so.�
�Alright.�
�Goody.� He kissed her.
�Do I need to wear anything special?�
�Yeah.�
�Like what?�
�The answer�s lying up on my bed.� She just looked at him. �You�ll like it. I�m hoping anyway.� He grinned. �So go get ready and when you�re done dinner will be ready.� She looked at him.
�What about you?�
�All I have to do is change. I showered when you went to the store.�
�Of course.�
�So go get ready.�
�Alright my impatient one.� She kissed him. �I�ll be done before you know it.�
�I hope so.� He kissed her again and she walked inside with Nickolas smiling.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
�I can�t believe you�re here, Aaron,� MyKenna said, as they walked into the kitchen for some privacy.
�Well I was hoping we could talk,� Aaron said.
�About what?�
�About us.�
�What about us?�
�I was thinking the past couple weeks since we broke-up and I think it wasn�t such a good idea.� He looked at her, as she looked at him in shock. �I realized after I broke it off it wasn�t such a great break-up.�
�What do you mean? No break-ups are great.�
�Well...� He took a deep breath. �I haven�t been happy to be truthful. Yes I was offered by tons of girls, but I was never interested. All I could do was think about you� about us and how great it was.� She looked at him interested. �I know I was wrong to hurt you like that, because I hurt myself. I haven�t been happy because I hurt you. I can�t stand living with that and I was hoping I could make it right.�
�What are you saying?�
�I was hoping we could get back together.� He looked at her and waited for a response.
�So you came all this way from Florida to see if we could get back together?�
�Yeah.�
�And I bet you�re probably thinking I�ll just jump back into your arms and take you back without any questions or anything.�
�Well�� He grinned.
�After you break-up with me over the phone you just want me to forgive and forget what you did.�
�I didn�t say you had to forget what I did, but I�m hoping you will.�
�Well, Aaron, as I stand here thinking about what you have said to me, I can�t help but come up with this answer.� She stood in front of him.
�And what would that be?�
�I�d love to be your girlfriend again.� She smiled.
�Well I understand. I just thought�what?�
�I�d love to be your girlfriend.� She continued smiling.
�Really?�
�Yeah. It�s all I could think about since that day you broke up with me. I want to be with you so much and it broke my heart not being with you.�
�I missed calling you every day and hearing your voice.�
�Same here.� She kissed him and then he hugged her.
�I may be young, but I know what I want in a girl and you�re it.� MyKenna smiled. �I was afraid you weren�t going to want to see me.�
�I�m glad you came. I was hoping you would come.�
�Why?�
�Because I missed you.�
�Well you don�t have to miss me anymore. I�m here and we�re back together.�
�I�m glad.�
�So am I.�
�DJ was right about this.�
�What do ya mean?� They sat at the table.
�She said we might break-up, but we�ll always get back together.�
�True, but I�m sure our next break-up won�t be for a very long time.� He smiled and so did MyKenna. �I totally want us to work. I want us to work like Nick wants him and DJ to work�only better though.� MyKenna chuckled. �What?�
�Nothing.� He leaned towards her and kissed her. �So do you know what Nick�s doing tonight for DJ�s birthday?�
�Uh�� He grinned.
�What is it? It�s not like I can tell her, because I already called her.� She smiled.
�Something special that�s all I know.�
�Whatever.�
�I�m being honest.�
�Bullshitters are never honest.�
�I ain�t a chronic bullshitter. I swear to God that I don�t know what Nick�s doing for her birthday. All I know is that it�s something special. According to him anyway. He never did anything special for a girl before.�
�So then this is something new to him.�
�Yeah.�
�DJ will call me tomorrow and tell me what happened, because she won�t be able to keep it to
herself.�
�Right.�
�MyKenna, time for bed!� her mother yelled. �School tomorrow.� MyKenna made a face.
�Damn, I hate school,� MyKenna said.
�Well ya have to go,� Aaron said.
�Unfortunately.� She grinned. �I can make up the guest room for ya.�
�That�s alright. My mom�s at the hotel and I got things to do early in the morning.�
�Alright. So you�re going to go.�
�Yeah, I�ll stop by for a little tomorrow if I can. I ain�t promising anything though.�
�I understand.�
�Alright.� They got up and walked out of the kitchen to the front door. �I�ll see ya sometime soon.�
�Of course you will.� She kissed him. �I�ll see ya.�
�Bye.� He kissed her again and then went out the door.
CHAPTER 40